Three Vista trustees are focus of recall drive

VISTA  Three Vista Unified School District trustees are being targeted for recall by critics who say they have mismanaged district affairs while showing unquestioned loyalty to the teachers union.

Steve Lilly, Angela Chunka and Elizabeth Jaka have deny those accusations, saying in part that the allegations are motivated by anger over their policy stances.

Once the Registrar of Voters approves the recall petition, backers will have 160 days to collect the signatures of about 9,600 registered voters in the school district — for each trustee — in order to force a recall election in November. A handful of procedural steps must be taken before the recall backers can begin collecting signatures.

Vista resident Jill Parvin, who is leading the recall effort, has criticized the trustees over a delayed high school project that’s over budget, the cancellation of a reading program and other issues.

In statements filed with the Registrar of Voters, the three trustees rebutted the arguments.

“I trust the voters will see this recall effort for what it is: a deplorable and destructive attempt to short-circuit the election process,” Jaka wrote.